Genealogy

Genealogy (from Greek:γενεάgenea, "generation"; and λόγοςlogos, "knowledge"), also known as family history, is the study of families and the tracing of their lineages and history. Genealogists use oral interviews, historical records, genetic analysis, and other records to obtain information about a family and to demonstrate kinship and pedigrees of its members. The results are often displayed in charts or written as narratives.

The pursuit of family history and origins tends to be shaped by several motivations, including the desire to carve out a place for one's family in the larger historical picture, a sense of responsibility to preserve the past for future generations, and a sense of self-satisfaction in accurate storytelling.

Overview

Hobbyist genealogists typically pursue their own ancestry and that of their spouses. Professional genealogists may also conduct research for others, publish books on genealogical methods, teach, or produce their own databases. They may work for companies that provide software or produce materials of use to hobbyist and other professional genealogists. Both try to understand not just where and when people lived, but also their lifestyles, biographies, and motivations. This often requires—or leads to—knowledge of antiquated laws, old political boundaries, migration trends, and historical socioeconomic or religious conditions.

Family history (medicine)

In medicine, a family history consists of information about disorders from which the direct blood relatives of the patient have suffered. Genealogy typically includes very little of the medical history of the family, but the medical history could be considered a specific subset of the total history of a family. Accurate knowledge of a patient's family history may identify a predisposition to developing certain illnesses, which can inform clinical decisions and allow effective management or even prevention of conditions.

Family History

Family history, I don't know too much, family history, I don't keep in touchWith my mother and father quite like I want to doThere's some family history, I'd rather not go lookin' throughFamily history will repeat, look through your history, you're sure to meetSomeone a walkin' much the same pathway as youIt's just family history, like it or not you're passin' throughFamily bible, dates and names, faces in pictures look much the sameLike you're runnin' in circles, until you don't know where it endsCan't know where you're goin' until you know just where you've beenWhat's with my uncle, I want to know, we never see him whenever we goTo some family reunion, no one dares to say his nameIt's against the rules in our secret family history gameFamily history, need to learn, lest old troubles will returnCome back and haunt you, you'll hear them rattle their chainYou'd better break it, it might just drag you down againFamily history seems like fate, but you can break it, it's not too lateTo ask a few questions, it's time to face up to your fear